Environment Committee on Dec. 5th, 2017

[William Amos, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Godin.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Xenos. Since you speak French well, you will be able to correct me in my language.

Mr. Xenos, before continuing, I would like to understand the figures you quoted in your opening statement. You spoke of a drop of 19% in 2014-15 as compared to 2005-06. You were talking about government greenhouse gas emissions, and not about Canada as a whole?

[Nick Xenos]

Yes, the government's greenhouse gas emissions.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Fine.

Your objective for 2030 is 40%, if I understood correctly. That means that from 2005 to 2014, there was a 19% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the various departments. The work was well done over the nine-year period. Now you say that the target for 2005 to 2030, so for a 25-year period, is 40%, which means that we have reached the halfway point. Is that correct?

At the national level, you spoke of a 30% reduction from 2005 to 2030. I would like this to be clear, so that we understand each other well and can show that the previous government did good work. Now the centre which was created in 2016 is there to do the follow-up, coordination and research.

Mr. Xenos, with all due respect, I would like to know what the value added is for Canadian taxpayers here. Good work was done in the past, and we are adding a structure to do the follow-up, coordination and research.

Once again, there is nothing concrete. There is nothing that will allow us to reach our objectives faster, which would be desirable. Personally, I am not convinced that this centre will allow us to attain our objectives. Isn't it just an additional administrative structure that will make it harder to reach the objective?

Earlier, the commissioner was here with us. Everyone has the same objective, which is to reduce greenhouse gases, improve our planet, do sustainable development and respect the environment.

But what will this additional structure add to that?

[Nick Xenos]

Thank you.

I will begin by providing a few concrete examples.

First, our centre is responsible for the inventory of greenhouse gases emitted by government operations. We address the requests to the departments and develop the definitions, protocols, methodology and so on, in line with all international standards. We are the ones who ask the departments for their inventory, we tabulate the information and publish it. The centre manages all of that to report on our progress in meeting the target.

Secondly, since we have the inventory and the data, we can do an analysis to see exactly where in the departments there are opportunities to reduce greenhouse gases in a more cost-effective manner. We can see where these opportunities are. We can also coordinate activities such as the purchase of electricity. We can gather the right people so that they can coordinate things the government could do better, and see where there are more economies of scale, rather than proceeding one department at a time. Those are a few examples.

In addition, we can bring together the departments that are experts and make sure that we work with them and the client departments—if I can call them that—that have less expertise, but manage a lot of properties, in order to accelerate the adoption of best practices, and the implementation and attainment of the target.

Since we are also at Treasury Board, we can also analyze recommendations and adjust policies that are directly related to greenhouse gases. I am speaking here in particular of policies related to our car fleet or to real estate, for instance. This gives us the opportunity to examine Treasury Board tools at the administrative level and at the government operational level, from the angle of reducing greenhouse gases. Those are a few examples of what we do.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

In fact, I understand—

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

You have 30 seconds.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

What was done previously to achieve the 19% results?

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Quickly, please.

[Nick Xenos]

There have to be more analyses, and departmental expertise on the issue has to be compiled. In this way, we can adopt best practices and have a more solid inventory.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Sometimes it's that low-hanging fruit. It's easy to get in the beginning and then much harder to get later on.

Mr. Aldag.

[John Aldag, Liberal, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Bossio is taking the first part of my time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

Okay, you guys, work it out. You have six minutes.

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Could you tell me when we have two and a half minutes left, please, Madam Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Deb Schulte]

I'll let you know.

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

I want to follow up on Ms. Duncan's line of questioning around proposed section 10.1 and the focus on the environment. Are there other mechanisms and instruments under the purview of Treasury Board that it can utilize to ensure that government achieves its international SDG commitments?

[Nick Xenos]

Yes. Across Treasury Board, there are many instruments. Treasury Board is the management board for the Government of Canada. It's the cabinet committee that looks at all those issues such as expenditure analysis and the expenditure authority that departments look for. Treasury Board is the employer for the Government of Canada.

Treasury Board looks at all Treasury Board submissions on all programs and projects, so of course Treasury Board has a broad mandate in that sense and can use all those instruments across that board.

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Does it use them?

[Nick Xenos]

Yes, it uses those instruments across the board in different areas to ensure departments are delivering on their mandates and—

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Their commitments?

[Nick Xenos]

—their commitments.

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Including the SDG commitments?

[Nick Xenos]

Including the SDG commitments.

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

How does the Treasury Board itself fare when it comes to meeting the FSDS targets?